The only one he ever feared
by Octavius Connelly
Summary: There is no good or evil, only power and those too weak or too afraid to seize it. With the only one he ever feared dead, Voldemort increases activity in the wizarding world, and Harry Potter seeks the knowledge to stop him. Is Harry strong enough?
1. Chapter 1- The Black Veil

"Avada-Kedevra" Bellatrix shoots aiming at Sirius. It hits him square in the chest and Sirius stumbles back into the veil. His last laugh still etched upon his face as his back arched back into the vail. Harry stumbled up from the ground, running to the other side of the arch and gazed around hopelessly. Expecting to see Sirius fall back any second, but he didn't.

A laugh erupted from behind him. He turned around and saw Bellatrix laughing. A rush of anger flooding over him. Bellatrix laughed at him and ran behind her to only disappear past a door screaming "I killed Sirius Black!" He made to run after her but Lupin appeared and held Harry tight.

"Harry, Don't. It'll only make it worse" Said Lupin, He sounded hurt, as if he just lost a piece of himself.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" He screamed back and with a sudden burst of anger, he broke free of Lupin's grip, surged forward and leapt down the stairs, tearing after Bellatrix. "No! Harry!" He heard Lupin shout as he pounded out of view.

Harry ran through the black and white laced halls, chasing Bellatrix's' voice. "I killed Sirius Black" She shouted with a maniacal voice. Harry burst out of the corridor and somehow he ended up in the Ministry main hall. He saw Bellatrix ahead and shouted "CRUCIO!" at her.

She screamed out and fell to the ground. Harry leapt pass the large golden fountain and walked upon Bellatrix. Her wand had fallen far from her and she was attempting to crawl towards it. Harry pointed his wand ahead of her at the ground and mumbled "Bombarda".

The ground ahead of her blew up and glowed with heat. She cried out and leapt back. Harry walked up to her and pointed her wand at her. She had a concerned look on her face as if she knew she was going to die. He hoped she felt that. A strand of hair fell over her eye protruding her vision a bit, it was pathetic.

"You've got to mean it, Harry" The voice seemed to erupt from all around him. He craned his head around looking for the source. Bellatrix smiled.

Then it centred behind him. "You know the spell"

He turned around and stood apart from none other than Lord Voldemort. He raised his wand arm but felt a surge of pain in his wrist and his wand was wrenched from his grip. Harry fell to the ground and gasped out and saw that there was crimson red blood slowly covering his hand.

"Did you really think you stood a chance, Potter?" Came Bellatrix's voice from behind him. She had gotten her wand and was slowly pacing around Harry.

Harry could see his wand to his right, he went to make a grab from it but found his body could not move.

"Quiet Bellatrix, you have failed me. I will deal with you later, for now, we are joined by the Order." Harry looked up and found a surge of relief sweep over him, the Order of the Phoenix was surrounding them, their wands pointed at Voldemort. Lupin and Tonks seem to be absent, Harry hoped they were alright.

"Lower you're wand Voldemort and you will not have to be harmed" came Kingsley's voice from behind Harry.

Voldemort paced around Harry, he still had a smile on his face. Didn't he know he was beaten?

"You seem to think this fight is won, yes?" He gazed down at Harry, his red eyes sending chills down his spine. "You are right, it is won" Voldemort slowly raised his head at the Order. "But not by you"

At that exact moment, he plunged his wand directly below him into the ground. Spells shot the second he touched the ground but they were too late. Erupting from Voldemort's wand straight through the ground and formed a cage out of molten rock around Bellatrix, Voldemort and himself.

Voldemort lowered his wand and bent down to Harry. A grin on his face. "Am I correct in assuming you think I am going to die here tonight, don't you?" Voldemort said as he examined Harry's face for a sign of fear. He was surprised to see none. "No? A pity, no matter, I shall make short work of your pathetic Aurors"

He stood up, waved his wand and the rock began to fall. Once they had all crumbled down, spells shot from all around him, Voldemort deflected them all with a lazy flick of his wand. He raised his wand hand and gripped the other one together and Harry covered his head as windows smashed all around him.

The spell had been broken and Harry crumbled into a heap. The smashed glass was raised from the ground and shot up into a revolving ball above Voldemort. The spells seized, the Aurors seem to know what was happening but Harry didn't. He scrambled over to his wand but felt himself rise into the air and shoved to a corner immobilized again. A scream erupted from Voldemort all the glass he conjured had changed form to sharp blades and shot at all the Aurors. They all staggered as the glass pierced them, falling limply to the ground a silent scream erupted from Harry's mouth. Kingsley was the only one remaining, having known the counter curse to that spell.

He gazed around at the fallen. Kingsley looked exhausted. Voldemort looked around and saw Kingsley standing there. Instead of firing another spell at Kingsley, Voldemort looked curiously at him. "I've always admired you, Kingsley, always seeming to know the answer to everything. One of the many qualities I like, it'll be a shame to kill you." He smiled and raised his wand. Kingsley looked up and prepared for another fight. Bellatrix stood behind Voldemort looking apprehensive.

Harry felt feeling return to himself. Kingsley looked over in his direction and stared from Harry to his wand. Then he focused his attention back on Voldemort. Harry seized the moment and leapt over to his wand, picked it up and shouted "Crucio!" And felt all the hatred towards Bellatrix form inside him. A stream of red light erupted from his wand and his Bellatrix squarely from behind. She raised into the air, screamed with pain as if she was on fire and shot straight at the fountain, hit the statue causing it to crack and then fell to the ground, limp.

At that moment Voldemort turned around slowly facing Harry. He smiled, Harry thought that to be very odd. Kingsley rushed over to Harry's side and raised his wand to align with Harry's. Voldemort had let Kingsley come over, why?

Voldemort advanced on Harry and Kingsley. A streak of fire shot out of Kingsley's wand and Voldemort raised his wand and stopped in mid-air. It swirled and grew larger and larger, it soured behind Voldemort and expanded to form a massive fiery snake. The snake flew around the room and then rounded on Harry and Kingsley. It shot at them, Harry felt Kingsley grab him by the shoulder and embrace him as they both crouched down, and expecting death Harry kept his eyes open, wanting to show Voldemort he wasn't afraid.

What should have been pain and suffering, was instead a pleasant cool of water rushing past them. It shot past Harry and formed a barrier in which the snake couldn't get past. Harry looked around to see who had cast the spell. He saw Dumbledore advancing on them, a starry glint in his eyes. The water surrounds Harry and Kingsley, and Voldemort let out a shriek of frustration. Dumbledore walked through the water and bent down to examine them both.

"Kingsley, if you will escort Harry here back to Grimmauld place I have certain…Matter's to attend to, I'm sorry for your loss Harry we shall talk about it later"

The water bubble opened at the back and Kingsley lead Harry back to one of the green ministry fire's. Suddenly, the gate's shut over the fires preventing them from leaving. Kingsley shoved Harry behind him and raised his wand. Voldemort was advancing on them, obviously unaware of Dumbledore's location he raised his wand. Dumbledore appeared at Harry's side and raised his wand at the statues near the fountain. They sprung to life and ran at Voldemort. They leapt upon him, but before they made contact a silver dish protruded from Voldemort's wand and melted both statues leaving a puddle of red-hot metal.

"You're going to have to better than that, Dumbledore," Said Voldemort, facing the trio again, a menacing grin on his face.

"Oh I intend to" Dumbledore replied, a smile on his face. "But for another time perhaps" he smiled again and raised his wand at the ground and cast a spell which shot vines from the concrete, obscuring Voldemort's view. Dumbledore turned around and raised his wand and blasted the gate open. He shoved them all in, and not a moment too soon. The marble around the fireplace started to spout hands and grab them.

Harry felt a familiar swooshing sensation and then blackness engulfed him. He heard a distant voice saying "Number twelve Grimmauld place!"


	2. Chapter 2- The Grieving

Harry felt the familiar sensation stop as his feet hit solid ground and he was spat from the fireplace at Number 12 Grimmauld place. He rolled out and hit the edge of the staircase with a loud thud that must have woken Kreacher up. He patrolled though the door mumbling to himself. "The blood traitor is in master's house, what poor old mistress would think" he stumbled over Harry and walked up the staircase. He tended to a photo of what Harry could only assume to be Sirius's mother. Then the realization hit Harry, Sirius was dead. His only family torn away again by the same people his mother and father died too.

Harry felt a tear drizzle down his cheek as he stood up, he quickly swiped it away. Harry walked into the kitchen and felt his gaze fall on the table. There laid the Daily Prophet. He picked it up and read the headlines.

LORD VOLEMORT HAS NOT RETURNED- "What you have heard from the so called Albus Dumbledore is a lie" Writes Rita Skeeta.

Harry threw the paper to the side and sat down at a chair and ran his hands through his head. Hadn't Hermione captured Rita? I thought she was trapped inside a jar. She must have escaped the jar thought Harry. Then another realization hit him. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville and Ginny were still trapped in the Department of mysteries. Harry stood up as if he was zapped and shoved his chair out of the way.

What happened to them? All the Auror's are dead. Are they alright? Did they escape? Right at that moment a knock on the door down the hall echoed through the house.

"Don't they know not to knock, oh how my Mistress would be disappointed" mumbled Kreacher as he walked to the front door to open it. Harry leaped forward and grabbed Kreacher by his rag, or what was left of it anyway and pulled him behind him.

"Stay here Kreacher" Said Harry, almost in a hush whisper.

"Yes master" He replied huddling away silently. Did Kreacher call him Master? A thought for another time as another knock came from the door. Harry groped his wand and aimed it at the door, "Alohamora" he said in a hush voice. The door creaked open and someone stepped inside, he had bright red hair and a lot of freckles, it was Ron.

Harry rushed forward to embrace him, Ron had a smile on his face but a look of grave concern followed. "Were are the others?" Said Harry, not bothering to hide the worry in his voice.

"Right here" Said another voice behind Ron. Hermione, Luna, Neville and thankfully Ginny all came in and closed the door.

"Jeez mate we thought you died when you didn't answer the door." Said Ron as Harry finished greeting the others. Harry couldn't contain his smile as he asked how they got back.

Ginny piped up from behind them all as they walked into the lounge room and sat down.

"Lupin and Tonks stayed behind and escorted us out the back way of the Ministry. They're both going to be her soon, and what about you, all we heard was you were with Dumbledore. What happened?" The tone in her voice sounded harsh. Harry was sure it was his imagination. He explained about Sirius and how he chased and supposedly killed Bellatrix, Neville seemed exceptionally happy after Harry said that. He explained about Voldemort and how he killed all the Order as well.

"So where is Dumbledore and Kingsley then, Harry?" Said Hermione from the kitchen. She returned moments later clutching a plate of sandwiches, with a look or sorrow on her face.

"I...I don't know, they said that they we're going back to help the Ministry deal with Voldemort" replied Harry grabbing a few sandwiches and sitting back down clutching his aching thigh.

"The ministry has a collection of Nargales they would have used" Said Luna, sounding quite serious in what she was saying. Everyone became un-naturally quiet after that.

"We had to deal with a few death-eaters who we're coming through the back entrance, we feared there may be more on the way" Said Neville standing up and checking the window for what Harry hoped was Dumbledore's return.

"I hope their all right, we should do something to help them" replied Ron who was sitting very quiet through all of it.

"We've done enough, we'd only get in their way. It's Dumbledore we're talking about here, he's the only one Voldemort feared" Said Harry. They all flinched as he said Voldemort's name.

There was a sudden gush of heat as two people emerged from the fireplace, everyone was on their feet, wands pointed at the fireplace. Remus Lupin emerged carrying Tonks, Hermione rushed over to help but the second Tonks was out of Lupin's grasp he leaped at harry and pinned him against the wall. "ARE YOU MAD?" Harry screamed.

"What creature sat in the corner of my office when Harry Potter first entered my office?" replied Lupin, his tone harsh but cold. Harry struggled and Lupin said again, "What Kreacher!"

"Grindylow!" Harry replied struggling free of Lupin's grip. Relief washed over Lupin as he sat exhausted into a couch near Hermione. "I'm sorry about that Harry, we we're ambushed, I had to check if you weren't a death eater"

"What happened to her?" Said Hermione, raising her wand to calm Tonks.

"We we're ambushed, there was so many death-eaters there. The entire ministry was dead when we just escaped. Voldemort has killed any of the remaining captives inside the Ministry, he rules over any order now." He took a moment to relax and gazed around at everyone. "Tonks was hit with an Impendia jinx, she should be alright if you know what you're doing Hermione"

"What…What about Dumbledore?" Asked Ron, his voice sounded shaky.

Lupin looked up and around everyone and centered on Harry. "He's dead"


End file.
